Standing in a grocery aisle surrounded by thousands of products with conflicting health claims can feel overwhelming, but mastering a few evidence-based strategies transforms you into a confident, informed shopper who can identify truly nutritious options in minutes.
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Understanding the Nutrition Facts Label
The nutrition facts label serves as your primary tool for evaluating product healthiness when shopping in retail stores. Start by checking the serving size at the top of the label, as manufacturers sometimes manipulate this number to make products appear healthier than they actually are.
Focus on the percentage Daily Value (%DV) as a quick guide—5% DV or less is considered low for any nutrient, while 20% or more is high. Choose products with higher %DV for fiber, vitamins, and minerals, while selecting items with lower %DV for saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium.
Decoding the Ingredients List
Ingredients appear in descending order by weight, meaning the first few items listed make up the bulk of the product. Select products with the smallest number of ingredients, as these are typically less processed and closer to whole foods. Look for recognizable whole food ingredients like oats, wholemeal flour, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as chickpeas at the beginning of the list. Be vigilant about added sugars, which hide under various names—aim for less than 6 grams of added sugar per serving in items like cereals, bars, and snacks.
About Me
Prashanth Reddy Cheruku
Welcome!
I created this platform with a mission: to educate people worldwide about Food Science, Nutrition & Preventive Healthcare. Our ultimate goal is to enhance both lifespan and healthspan—not just for people, but for PETS too!
About Me
I am a qualified Food Engineer & Sports Nutritionist with over 13 years of research & content creation experience. My academic background includes:
🎓 Master of Technology in Food Process Engineering
📍 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur
Leveraging Technology for Smarter Shopping
Modern mobile applications have revolutionized how consumers identify healthy products in retail environments. The FoodSwitch app, developed by The George Institute for Global Health, uses science-based algorithms to scan product barcodes and provide instant nutrition information along with healthier alternatives. The app displays products using either the Health Star Rating (HSR) or traffic-light colored icons for key nutrients, making it easy to compare similar products quickly.
Another popular option is the Yuka app, which has garnered 80 million users worldwide and evaluates both food and personal care products for their health impact using a simple color-coded system.
Understanding Health Star Ratings
The Health Star Rating system is a government-led initiative that provides an easy way to compare the nutritional profile of packaged foods, with ratings ranging from half a star to five stars. The HSR calculation considers energy, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium content while balancing these against positive nutrients like protein, fiber, and fruit, vegetable, nut, and legume content.
Research has shown that when combined with discretionary food classification, rating systems like the Thumbs Rating (which uses HSR as its foundation) are highly effective at distinguishing healthy from unhealthy products. Products displaying higher star ratings generally contain more protein and fiber with less energy, saturated fat, sugar, and salt.
Practical In-Store Strategies
Beyond labels and apps, implement strategic shopping behaviors that naturally lead to healthier purchases. Choose products with nutrition content claims like “low fat,” “reduced salt,” or “good source of fiber,” as these must comply with specific criteria set by food standards codes.
Focus on nutrient density by selecting foods that provide high amounts of nutrients relative to their calorie content, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Research indicates that financial incentives for fruits and vegetables, along with in-store promotions like direct labels and food samples, successfully improve dietary behaviors.
Further Reading
https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/how-understand-and-use-nutrition-facts-label
https://healthymadetasty.com.au/blog/label-reading-made-easy
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-grocery-shopping-guide
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/food-labels
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